Method of estimating rock mechanical properties
A method of estimating at least one mechanical property value of a rock formation in the geologic past. In one embodiment, a correlation model is generated which correlates at least one mechanical property with a porosity value and a composition value relative to a first rock type. An estimation of a past porosity value and a past composition value is then generated for the rock formation at a point of time in the past. A mechanical property value at the point of time in the past is identified in the correlation model based on the estimated past porosity and past composition values.
1. A method of estimating a mechanical property value of a rock formation comprising:
generating a correlation model, where the correlation model correlates at least one mechanical property with a porosity value and a composition value relative to a first rock type;
generating an evolution model, where the evolution model utilizes thermal-history data and burial-history data for the rock formation;
using the evolution model to generate an estimation of a past porosity value and a past composition value for the rock formation at a point of time in the geologic past; and
identifying in the correlation model a mechanical property value at the point of time in the past based on the estimated past porosity and past composition values.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
acquiring present day data of the rock formation; and
processing the present day data to generate the correlation model.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the present day data comprises porosity data, composition data and mechanical property data.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the present day data is acquired using at least one of the techniques selected from the group consisting of thin-section point counting, x-ray diffraction and helium porosimetry.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising predicting presence of faults in the rock formation based on the mechanical property value.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising estimating a stress history of the rock formation based on the mechanical property value.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising predicting strength of the rock formation based on the mechanical property value.
8. A computer-implemented method of estimating mechanical property values of a rock formation comprising:
generating a first correlation model for a first rock type, where the first correlation model correlates at least one mechanical property with a porosity value or composition value of the first rock type;
generating a second correlation model for a second rock type, where the second correlation model correlates at least one mechanical property with a porosity value or composition value of the second rock type;
generating an evolution model of the rock formation, where the evolution model utilizes thermal-history data and burial-history data for the rock formation;
determining a first porosity value and a first composition value at a first point of time in a geologic timescale using the evolution model;
determining a second porosity value and a second composition value at a second point of time in a geologic timescale using the evolution model;
using a computer to identify in the first correlation model a first mechanical property value at the first point of time based on the first porosity and first composition values; and
using a computer to identify in the second correlation model a second mechanical property value at the second point of time based on the second porosity and second composition values.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising predicting presence of faults in the rock formation based on the first and second mechanical property values.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising estimating a stress history of the rock formation based on the first and second mechanical property values.
11. The method of claim 8 further comprising predicting strength of the rock formation based on the first and second mechanical property values.